mirror,mirror on the wall.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall!
Padre

In our journey and living as a community, we have encountered many problems. This path we have chosen is not that easy as we know it. Some have endured the journey and some have given up. This makes the saying quite true “many are called but few are chosen”. But is this really the reason behind such mystery in attaining the priesthood vocation.

When we speak of a community, it means a group of people living together. As we can observed, they are numerous community in this world but somehow unique in their own special way. Some are monastic community, religious community, apostolic community and many more. But what makes them different and the identical at the same time. They are different from the way they live together. Some concentrates on praying together, some concentrates on studying, some concentrates on spreading the word of God, some are combination of the former and the latter and many more. The important thing about it is the unity immanent within them where God is dwelling.

What kind of people who are living together in such communities? There are lots of them and they differ from one another. They are people who are conscious too much with their selves, some are conscious about the others too much that they forgot to see their selves. Some are combination of the latter and the former. Where do we belong? It is important to examine ourselves where we are place in such division. What is the rationale living together? Is it for the sake of satiating our social life or there is more than to it?

Most of the people loftily observe other people especially those who are different in their view. Like a little dot in the white board, first they see the dot and then the white board. This kind of people pays attention on particular things rather viewing the bigger part of the picture. People usually pay attention on those people who made mistakes, those who are poles apart, those who are eye-catching and those who are irritating. This kind of mind-set is somehow immanent in each of us. Even I cannot deny that because, usually it is the propensity of a person to be more aware on the things that are unusual on their highlights, moral fiber and outlook.

This is the attitude lurking everytime we hear a fraternal correction. What is fraternal correction? It is brotherly concern given to a person. This is very essential in our community because it helps us to see ourselves through the others. There are things in us that we cannot see by just relying to our self. In order to see those things we need an  aid from the others. Living in a community, we are like mirrors from one another. For example, every morning I wake up and look at the mirror, I see myself. Without this mirror, I will not be able to see that there is filth in my face. It is the same in fraternal correction. If someone tells you about something and advises you some things to ponder, it is the way he or she looks at you. This visualization is an insight, which you cannot see for yourself. This works between the one who is giving the fraternal correction and the one who is receiving it. The peoples who live in community are like mirrors facing on another. They help one another to flourish their well being, but they must not rely only with this because there are things that can only be seen just through our selves alone. We must also look within us and contemplate on the other things, which the others could never see.

In our journey, we cannot but to notice the differences from each other. In this community, people come from different places.  It is very difficult to comprehend how could we live together despite of the differences that usually result to problems. Now here comes fraternal correction, to solve such problems. Is this really the solution? For me, it is not the solution to such problems but a tool to come up a solution. Fraternal correction is just like a bell in the seminary, Everytime we hear the tintinnabulation of the bell, it tells us something but still the assessment is ours to make whether to follow it or not. In every decision there is always consequence and it is either good or bad. It makes us aware and reminds us of something that sometimes we tend to ignore or overlook. For me, the essence of this is to make us aware.

This awareness may result to a good output or bad output. Why? One time, I received a fraternal correction from a brother and after I heard about it, I was awake. I took it as a compliment but it spurned my ego that made me furious. I was not prepared and the way he delivered it was harsh. But after that, I realized that he was right but he was quite erroneous. He was right but the way he delivered it was out of line and it derailed in the right way.  He did not think first and evaluate things that needed to be considered in giving such fraternal correction. As we know, not all can take fraternal correction in a positive way. Some are blinded by their pride and self-centered ego that makes them stubborn. With this, I can say that fraternal correction is good but it must be ushered in a right way that will make a person wake up and take it as a compliment and not as an insult. Before giving a fraternal correction one must consider many factors like the right time, right place, right words and right way. But it does not mean that if these factors will be followed, everything will go smoothly. There are many possibilities that may happen. That is why the one who gives such correction should be firm and open-minded. If not, it might result to a conflict between the one who is giving it and receiving it. The Latter should contemplate on what is being said whether it is correct or not. Fraternal correction is effective as long as the person who gives it is practicing it too. The former should also examine oneself before correcting others flaws and quirks. If ever one will received a fraternal correction, one should be patient and contemplate whether the position is right and it will flourish him and the others as well.
There are many possibilities that could happen when we speak of fraternal correction. It could bring conflicts, gaps, complexity, and disturbance to relationships or it could build ties, friendship, love, care and unity.

As we all know, man is very delicate to handle like a mirror. Once it is broken it is hard to bring it back to its original form. If this fraternal correction is used in a wrong way, it could ruin a life. We cannot allow this to happen in our community but sometimes it is inevitable. But through with this, the essence of being in a community is somehow strengthened. We are living with one mind and one heart intent upon God and we are restless until we rest in him. That is the powerful aphorism of Holy Father Augustine. Fraternal correction is just one of the factors that makes us restless. If ever there are lots of mirrors broken because of Fraternal Correction, these pieces of glasses broken apart will return to its original form with the divine intervention of God.  When a person pick pieces of broken mirror with bare hands, his hand will be slashed. Just like what our Jesus Christ did when he saved us from sin. He experienced ineffable pains, which an ordinary person cannot endure.

Since we are the image of God(Imago Dei), we should take a stand that would somehow show our identity that reflects to our creator. We should make an account to follow the footprints of our Lord Jesus Christ and pick the broken pieces of the mirror that shows the image of God, a mirror that is present within our hearts and our minds.Thus, let us help one another and share the sufferings in picking the pieces of our broken life cause by our sins that we committed. In the end,we will also share the everlasting equanimity that lies in heaven where our God dwells and guiding us in toward His Kingdom.